


playing the part

by RosieCheeks101



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Asexual Character, Cheryl isn't the killer, Cheryl's sorta sympathetic?, Excessive Cursing, Gen, Homeless Jughead, I mean he has a home but he avoids returning there, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Death in Childbirth, Jughead's not really into it, M/M, Minor Violence, Non-Graphic Smut, Non-Linear Narrative, Not Canon Compliant, Recreational Drug Use, Reggie's a dick, all the fucking is while they're high, fuck that noise, ive been told I curse too much in writing, minor homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-09
Updated: 2017-02-09
Packaged: 2018-09-23 02:47:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9637517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosieCheeks101/pseuds/RosieCheeks101
Summary: This is who he is now, the weird kid who was sleeping with Jason before he died. This is who people will remember him as. This will be at the forefront of their minds in every conversation.Jughead doesn't like the part the world has written him into.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is highkey trash and Jason is highkey a dick

"You're staring."

Jughead doesn't even look up from his laptop as he mutters the words, just continues to type as he waits for Archie's nervous response. 

"Why do you care so much about the Jason Blossom case? You weren't close," Archie mumbles with his chin propped up in his hands, which are in turn supported by his elbows where he's rested them on the table. 

"A lot changed while we weren't talking, Archie, how d'you know we weren't close?" he shoots back. 

There's a lull in the conversation as Archie considers for a moment, giving Jughead just enough time to slip into memories of Jason's backseat before he's speaking again, "How close?" 

Jughead pauses at that question, and raises an eyebrow, "The hell do you even _mean_ by that?" 

"Well, I mean, you two weren't.. y'know..?" Archie trailed off, biting his lip, "Were you fucking him?" 

There's a huff of a laugh and Jughead goes back to typing, "He was fucking me, there's a difference." Jughead's getting real sick of explaining this distinction to people, Archie isn't the first to ask, "Thought we were past the stage where I had to explain my asexuality?" 

"But you don't like-" 

"Correct," Jughead says simply, "I couldn't care less about sex, I had my own reasons for what I did." 

Archie frowns deeply but leaves the subject alone, going back to his textbook despite how clearly he's itching to keep asking. 

Jughead keeps typing. Though a part of him thinks over the conversation, repeating it over and over again. 

This is who he is now, the weird kid who was sleeping with Jason before he died. This is who people will remember him as. This will be at the forefront of their minds in every conversation. 

Jughead doesn't like the part the world has written him into. 

* * *

A flash of red hair catches Jughead's eye as someone sits across from him, and he's ready to reject Archie for the millionth time since summer started two days ago, but the objections die on his tongue when he finds himself face to face instead with Jason Blossom.

It takes him a moment to process the new information, "What do you want? School's out, don't tell me you're gonna go this far outta your way just to dunk my head in a toilet." 

"Not this time, Jones, I need something much more important," there's an infuriating smirk playing across Jason's lips, and it makes Jughead want to punch him, "Everyone knows you got a drug hookup, so hook me up." 

"Don't know where you heard that," Jughead mutters defensively, averting his eyes to the table and tracing his fingers along scratched in initials, though he recoils his hand when he realises who _A.A._ is. 

"Oh come on, Jughead," the use of his name catches Jughead off guard, eyes snapping up to the red head, "I'm just looking for a little pot. Nothing major." 

"Ask Mantle." 

"Reg is away, unfortunately, Mantle family get together," Jason shrugs, he's still staring at Jughead and Jug feels a little like a zebra in a lion documentary, "I'll suck you off if you get me some." 

"Not an appealing offer," Jughead responds simply, glancing up at Jason, "I want a promise. If I get you pot your football cronies'll leave me alone come school starting." 

There's a pause and Jughead sighs, knowing the red head wants more, "You can fuck me, too, if that's what you're after." 

It evidently is, as Jason's smirk grows and he holds his hand out to Jughead, "Deal." 

Jughead makes good on his half of the deal later that same night, and it's really not so bad. At least this way he can pretend the feeling pumping through his veins really is from the way Jason's pounding him into the back seat leather, rather than from the joint still dangling from his fingertips. 

* * *

"You were fucking him."

"He was fucking me." It's a week before Archie will make the same accusation in this very same booth, but Jughead is just as irritated by it this time. Especially since the person sitting across from him is Cheryl Blossom, he has no interest in going into his and Jason's history with her. 

Perfect pink lips are puckered when Jughead looks up, as if Cheryl's tasted something sour, "That's why you're so interested in his case." 

"I'm interested in the case cause it's interesting, what your brother and I did in the past has nothing to do with this," he corrects coolly. 

"What do you think happened that day?" Cheryl inquires, voice taking on the slightest edge though Jughead doesn't have time to focus on it. Instead he's focusing on the question, what _does_ he think happened? 

"I don't know," he admits, making clear eye contact with the red head, "when I started writing I thought I knew. I thought you were the one who did it, figured you pushed him out the boat. But that's not what killed him, and I don't know if even you have it in you to shoot your own brother in the head. 

A look flutters across Cheryl's face and before this summer Jughead would have misconstrued it as her being offended, but he saw that same look a precious few times in Jason's eyes. When he would truly let down his guard for just a few seconds before he was back to his suave, cocky self. 

Vulnerability. 

"They think I did it, the coroner's going to be looking for evidence that specifically incriminates me." There's not a drop of uncertainty in her voice, just resignation. 

"That's illegal." 

"Like that'll fucking stop them." 

He really can't argue with that, so he just shrugs and continues writing, "Well, if you get falsely convicted it'll make a great story." 

Cheryl huffs and stands up, "At least I know you'll visit me in prison, need the inside scoop for your damn story," she murmurs and turns, heels clacking against the ground as she leaves. 

Jughead's pleased when he looks up and notices the crumpled bills Cheryl left on the table, despite the fact that he's the one who had ordered food. 

Only later does it occur to him that she might know more about his living situation than he'd like. 

* * *

"Where do you live, anyway?" Jason inquires between open mouthed kisses to Jughead's neck.

It's midnight and they're in some abandoned skate park, Jason with his legs dangling over the edge of the bowl and Jughead in his lap, joint perched between his fingers. 

"Loaded question, Blossom, thought we weren't gonna talk about serious shit." 

Jason laughs and swipes the joint from Jughead, free hand dancing across his skin and slipping under his shirt, "That's not an answer." 

The darker haired boy shivers at the touch, though he's sure Jason interprets it as a sign of want, "I don't have an answer to give, I don't have a permanent residence." 

Jason frowns slightly, Jughead can feel the expression on Jason's lips against his skin, but he quickly decides not to pursue the topic and goes back to kissing and sucking, and Jughead does his best to make the appropriate sounds. 

Eventually Jason rolls them so he's hovering over Jughead. 

Jason laughs because he's pinned him with ease, Jughead laughs because he got the joint back without a fight. 

* * *

"I knew about you two."

Jughead's really fucking sick of people invading his personal space. 

"That why you punched me? Cause I _turned_ your best friend gay?" Jughead mutters sarcastically, not bothering to look at Reggie. 

He can practically feel the other boy rolling his eyes as he props his elbows up on the table, "Blossom was a homo before you got anywhere near him." 

Jughead pauses in his typing and raises an eyebrow, "You sound jealous, dear Reginald," he teases. 

Reggie doesn't rise to the bait, which is honestly disappointing, Jughead could use some entertainment, "I don't get it, of all the guys in the school who'd be willing to put out why'd he pick _you_? From what I hear you won't even put out half the time, anyway." 

"Maybe I'm just that good at sucking dick, you wanna give it a try?" Jughead sniped, hoping to get Reggie off his back before he continued to ask questions. 

"Being good at something and enjoying it are different." Jughead's head snaps up at that, slamming his laptop unceremoniously. 

"Don't know what you're talking 'bout." 

His reaction is apparently the one Reggie's looking for, cause he smirks at that, "It's true what Cheryl's been spreading about you, then? Come on Sweeney Todd, just admit it. We all know why you and Andrews really fought," he goads. 

Jughead shoved his laptop into his bag, scowling. He knows avoiding it will only make it worse, but he can't fucking deal with Reggie right now. 

"Gonna go cry to mommy?" Reggie continues with a smirk, and he _knows_ that's too harsh, even looks guilty for a moment. 

Jughead doesn't have the patience to deal with Reggie right now. That doesn't stop him from lunging across the table to punch him in the face. 

* * *

"You gonna tell me who gave you the mean ass shiner or should I keep guessing?"

Jughead rolls his eyes and presses his face into the red head's pale stomach, "My dad." 

Jason frowns a little, tugs Jughead's hair slightly to lift his head, "Assumed you didn't have parents," he admits, not seeming apologetic in the slightest. 

"My mom died a couple years back, right after my sister was born," why Jughead's sharing this he really doesn't know, maybe it's the illusion that Jason looks vulnerable, naked in the backseat of his car with moonlight bouncing off his features. Jug doesn't stop to consider how he must look, hair mussed and hat missing as he crouches between Jason's legs, "dad's a dealer, among other things. I make a habit not to go home too often. My sister lives with a relative." 

Jason's expression glazes over with disinterest about three words in, so Jughead just grins wickedly and sinks his head down without warning. Doing his best to fake a moan when Jason pulls at his hair. 

Only later, once Jason's kicked him out of the car and driven off, away from Riverdale Park and back towards whatever swishy neighbourhood he resides in, does Jughead think about what he shared. 

His mom dying's never been a secret, but Jason's only been around a couple years, never knew the Jughead from before. 

He sighs and kicks some rocks up as he starts to walk, eventually finding himself at Pop's. 

* * *

Jughead hoists Jelly into his lap, kissing her blonde hair as he orders a burger and milkshake. He doesn't get to see her often, and he always cherishes the times when his aunt trusts him enough to let him take her out somewhere, though it's usually only to Pop's.

The rare happy moment is shattered when Veronica Lodge, of all goddamn people, slips into the booth. 

"Aw, who's this?" she coos, leaning across the table to smile at Jellybean. 

"This is Jellybean," Jughead introduces, thoroughly enjoying the confused look that passes across Veronica's face as he passes the three year old to her. 

"What on earth were your parents smoking when they named you two?" she snorts, and Jughead's small smile slips. 

To her credit, Veronica notices the shift in mood almost immediately and looks up at Jughead, "Crap, did I say something wrong?" 

For all of her faults, Jughead does always admire Veronica's ability to apologise, so he just shakes his head and puts on a smile, "Nah, but you do know Jughead isn't my real name right?" 

She doesn't believe him that nothing's wrong, but she's kind enough not to push, "Oh? What is it?" 

"Forsythe, which is somehow worse. And Jelly's name is actually Forsythia." 

"You.. can not be serious," she giggles, staring down at the blonde girl in her lap and only looking up when Jughead's food arrives, "gosh, that's.. certainly something." 

Jughead just nods his head, digging into the meal and letting Jellybean pick at the fries, "Yeah. I'm named for my dad, she's named for me. I've always hated the name." 

Veronica smiles and steals a few fries of her own, though Jughead doesn't have the heart to tell her off. 

It's late by the time he leaves with Jelly, having talked for hours with Veronica. And Jason Blossom never once came up. 

Maybe his role in the story isn't written yet.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments !! Are !! Appreciated !!  
> Also I have a terrible habit of not responding to comments so if I don't respond it's just cause I don't know what to say, nothing personal I swear.


End file.
